The second stage of Nafs is called the Nafs Lawwaama: the Awakened Self. This is the self that attains self-awareness.
In Sufism, it is driven by the urge to find God.
In Creativity, it is driven by the urge to be creative.
It does not yet know how to, just that it wants to.
A person at this stage wants guidance and will actively seek it. Such a person
usually feels lost and confused.
Meet the Rooster
It is the Rooster that wakes you up in the morning.
Similarly, in creativity, it is the Rooster that awakens your creative self.
The Kakapo changes into the Rooster the moment it gets in touch with its latent
creativity.
Identifying The Rooster
The Rooster is driven by curiosity.
After gaining self-awareness, it will venture beyond comfort and convenience.
At this stage, it feels lost and confused.
In a creative framework, it represents a person who seeks a creative outlet, but is not quite sure where to start.
Dealing With The Rooster
In Sufism, dealing with this stage requires further purification.
In creativity, it requires focus.
The Rooster will either wander around aimlessly without purpose (like it's earlier
self, the Kakapo) or helplessly without guidance.
Unlike the Kakapo, the Rooster is not just willing to listen to logic, it wants to.
Overcoming the Rooster
Overcoming the Rooster could be a hit or miss without external support.
On his own, the Rooster can either:
1. Follow emotion through his heart, instinct or intuition, or...
2. Follow logic through trial and error.
While both of these ways will work, the journey is a lot more comfortable with a
guiding hand.
Surpassing The Rooster
Understanding the Rooster is a monumental occurrence.
This is the passive creative self.
If you’re a Rooster, you’ve already won half the battle, even though you’ve not yet
entered the battle. Give yourself a pat on the back.
If you know a Rooster, know that a little push in the right direction might be all they need.
Ok. We started with nothing and reached confusion.
Then we found creativity and searched for guidance.
Soon we’ll find guidance. But then what? What’s next?
Then we find colour, because we become the Peacock.
This next stage is where most of us begin our actual creative journey.
To learn how one starts walking towards their creative goals, check out The
Inspired/Aspirational Self (Nafs Mulhama).
You can read it here.
Until then, happy creating!
The Rooster In A Nutshell
State of mind: Confused, lost.
Traits: Acknowledges faults and shortcomings. Realizes importance and need for creative direction, strategic purpose and tactical goals.
Suggested course of action: Find general guidance.
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